Course Descriptions

LiteratureEnglish, Philosophy & Modern Languages(406) 657-2348

* LIT 110 Introduction to Literature[formerly ENGL 160 Reading and Responding to Literature]3 cr. (F, Sp)Presents students with the opportunity to experience and analyze short and long fiction; narrative, dramatic and lyric poetry; stage and cinematic drama, and selected audio/visual materials. Students will develop skills and attitudes enabling them to experience the written word and selected audio/visual media for insight and entertainment (Course not applicable to English major).

* LIT 230 World Literature Survey[formerly ENGL 260 World Foundations of Literature]3 cr. (F, Sp)Surveys in translation representative works of world literature (e.g., Chinese, Indian, Russian, Latin American, European) in poetry, prose, and drama which provides a comparative basis for understanding different cultures.

* LIT 240 The Bible As Literature[formerly ENGL/PHIL 240 The Bible As Literature]3 cr. (Sp)Examines the Bible as a work of literary art. Considers such topics as literary genre, plots, character development, thematic concerns, historical and cultural contexts, and style of writings that make up the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

* LIT 270 Film & Literature[formerly ENGL 280 Fiction into Film]3 cr. (Sp)Focuses on modern and contemporary novels, plays or short stories which have been adapted to film. Emphasizes written and visual literacy.

LIT 294 Seminar/WorkshopV1-3 cr. Provides freshmen and sophomores an opportunity to investigate intensively topics pertinent to the fields of composition, literature and language.

LIT 294 Seminar/WorkshopV1-3 cr. Provides freshmen and sophomores an opportunity for experimental study in an area of English or the teaching of English.

LIT 305 Literature by and about Native Americans (crosslisted with NASX 340) [formerly ENGL/NAMS 303 Literature of the American Indian]3 cr. Prerequisite: at least one lower division course in English or Native American Studies, or permission of the instructor. Includes fictional and non-fictional oral, written, and visual literature pertaining to Native Americans and created by Indians and non-Indians including traditional literature such as legends, myths, teaching stories, humor, songs, orations, dramas, captivity accounts, sign language, winter counts, and hide paintings; contemporary literature such as poetry, songs, short stories, novels, humor, newspapers, theatricals, movies, television, and picture books; and translation, interpretation, and criticism, with insight drawn from Indian cultural traditions, the humanities, and the social sciences.

LIT 307 Latino Literature (crosslisted with SPNS 314)[formerly ENGL/SPAN 309 Latino Literature]3 cr. (odd Sp)Introduces Latino/a literature with focus on classic and contemporary writers of Hispanic origin living and writing in the U.S. Analyzes their historical, political, cultural, and literary discourses through fictional and some non-fictional works focusing on Latino/a society as a marginalized minority.

LIT 312 Advanced American Literature I [formerly ENGL 355 American Literature I]3 cr. Prerequisite: LIT 230. (F)Provides intensive study and discussion of selections from major American writers from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War.

LIT 313 Advanced American Literature II [formerly ENGL 356 American Literature II]3 cr. Prerequisite: LIT 230. (Sp)Provides intensive study and discussion of selections by major American writers from the post-Civil War period through the present.

LIT 320 Advanced British Literature I [formerly ENGL 361 British Literature I]3 cr. Prerequisite: LIT 230. (taught in sequence with LIT 321 and 322)Provides intensive study and discussion of selections by major British writers from the Anglo Saxon period to 1660. Pays special attention to Old and Middle English poetry and the lyric and dramatic verse of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

LIT 321 Advanced British Literature II [formerly ENGL 362 British Literature II]3 cr. Prerequisite: LIT 230. (taught in sequence with LIT 320 and 322)Provides intensive study and discussion of selections from major British writers from the Restoration through the Romantic period.

LIT 322 Advanced British Literature III [formerly ENGL 363 British Literature III]3 cr. Prerequisite: LIT 230. (taught in sequence with LIT 320 and 321)Provides intensive study and discussion of selections from major British writers from the Victorian period to 1965.

LIT 335 Women & Literature (crosslisted with A&SC 365) [formerly ENGL/A&SC 365 Images of Women in Literature and the Arts]3 cr. (even F)Studies examples of the written, oral, and visual arts depicting women as “voices” of the periods which produced them, and examines how those voices influenced, and continue to color, women’s perceptions of their roles in society. Pays special attention to the literature written by such authors as Doris Lessing, Alice Adams, Anne Sexton, Alice Munro, Megan Terry, and Alice Walker.

LIT 342 Montana Writers[formerly ENGL 331 Montana Writers]3 cr. (alternating Sp)Examines literature produced by authors, including Dorothy Johnson, A.B. Guthrie, James Welch, and Ivan Doig, who were born in or live in Montana and set their literary productions in the state.

LIT 370 Science Fiction[formerly ENGL 270 Science Fiction]3 cr. (even Sp)Examines the major Humanistic, biological, environmental, psychosocial, and technological themes of science fiction as a significant genre of modern speculative fiction and traces the historical development of science fiction from the 19th century to the present.

LIT 381 Young Adult Literature [formerly ENGL 381 Adolescent Literature]3 cr. (F)Provides students with knowledge of books written specifically for young adults and with a background in the various kinds of material available for both in-class and out-of-class reading experiences for preteens and teenagers. Issues involved in assigning and recommending reading materials for Middle School, Junior and Senior High School students are covered, including units on censorship and methods of promoting books through classroom activities.

LIT 432 Major Writers[formerly ENGL 471 Major Writers]3 cr. Provides advanced study of the work of a selected author or authors.

LIT 460 Studies in British Literature[formerly ENGL 460 Studies in British Literature]V1-3 cr. R-6. Prerequisite: upper division status. Provides advanced study of major developments, periods, genres, or themes in British Literature. Course content will vary, and the course may be repeated for credit.

LIT 461 Studies in American Literature[formerly ENGL 461 Studies in American Literature]V1-3 cr. R-6. Prerequisite: upper division status. Provides advanced study of major developments, periods, genres, or themes in American literature. Course content will vary, and the course may be repeated for credit.

LIT 462 Studies in Literature and the Environment[formerly ENGL 462 Studies in Literature and the Environment]3 cr. Prerequisite: upper division status or permission of the instructor. Provides intensive study and discussion of literary text concerning nature and the environment and of environmental content of texts.

LIT 463 Studies in Contemporary Literature[formerly ENGL 463 Studies in Contemporary Literature]V1-3 cr. R-6. Prerequisite: upper division status. Provides advanced study of major developments, genres, or themes in American, British, and/or Western- European fiction, poetry, and drama (and film where relevant) since 1965. Appropriate connections among national literatures will be explored. Course content will vary, and the course may be repeated for credit.

LIT 464 Studies in Medieval Literature[formerly ENGL 464 Studies in Medieval Literature]V1-3 cr. R-6. Prerequisite: LIT 230 or instructor’s permission. Provides advanced study of British and/or Western European medieval literature, with special emphasis on an influential major author, or authors, and on the major genres and themes of western medieval literature.

LIT 492 Independent StudyV1-3 cr. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and chairperson of the department. Provides outstanding students with an opportunity for individually guided research and study in English. A contract describing the study must be completed at the time of enrollment and filed in the English Department office. (Note: Not more than 6 credits of LIT 492 may be allowed toward any program in English.)

LIT 494 Seminar/WorkshopV1-3 cr. Provides advanced students an opportunity to investigate intensively topics pertinent to the field of English.

LIT 494 Seminar/WorkshopV1-3 cr. Provides an opportunity for experimental study in an area of English and the teaching of English.

LIT 498 Cooperative Education/InternshipV1-9 cr. Provides university credit for a work experience in the area of English, supervised by faculty. Learning agreement must be completed prior to registration (restricted).

LIT 499 Thesis/Capstone: Portfolio [formerly ENGL 425 Senior Portfolio](WR) 3 cr. Prerequisites: WRIT 201 and senior status. (F, Sp)Requires students to produce a substantial quantity and variety of nonfiction prose. Each student makes an oral presentation of his or her best chosen work with the advice of instructor. Course affords opportunity for conferences with instructor as well as discussions of related readings. Designed especially for senior English majors. Work produced for Senior Portfolio constitutes an outcomes assessment of the quality of the student’s training in English.